Glam metal

Last updated

Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal ) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam rock.

Contents

Early glam metal evolved directly from the glam rock movement of the 1970s, as visual elements taken from acts such as T. Rex, the New York Dolls, and David Bowie (and to a lesser extent, the punk and new wave movements taking place concurrently in New York City) were fused with the decidedly more heavy metal leaning and theatrical acts such as Alice Cooper and Kiss. The first examples of this fusion began appearing in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene. Early glam metal bands include Mötley Crüe, Hanoi Rocks, Night Ranger, Ratt, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, and Dokken. Glam metal achieved significant commercial success from approximately 1983 to 1991, bringing to prominence bands such as Poison, Skid Row, Cinderella and Warrant. From a strictly visual perspective, glam metal is defined by flashy and tight-fitting clothing, makeup, and an overall androgynous aesthetic in which the traditional "denim & leather" aspect of heavy metal culture is replaced by spandex, lace, and usually heavy use of bright colours.

Glam metal suffered a decline in popularity in the early-mid 1990s, as the grunge and alternative phenomena revolutionized hard rock, and fans' tastes moved toward a more natural and stripped-down aesthetic and a rejection of the glam metal visual style. During this period, many of the most successful acts of the genre's 1980s pinnacle suddenly found themselves facing disbandment as their audiences moved in another direction. Glam metal has experienced a resurgence since the late 1990s, with successful reunion tours of many popular acts from the genre's 1980s heyday, as well as the emergence of new, predominantly European bands, including the Darkness, Crashdiet, Reckless Love, and American band Steel Panther.

Characteristics, fashion, and terminology

Musically, glam metal combines a traditional heavy metal sound with elements of hard rock and punk rock, [4] adding pop-influenced catchy hooks and guitar riffs. [5] [6] Like other heavy metal songs of the 1980s (most notably thrash metal songs), they often feature shred guitar solos. [7] They also include extensive use of harmonies, particularly in the characteristic power ballads  slow, emotional songs that gradually build to a strong finale. [8] These were among the most commercially successful singles in the genre and opened it up to a wider audience that would otherwise not have been attracted to traditional heavy metal. Lyrical themes often deal with love and lust, with songs often directed at a particular woman. [9]

Aesthetically glam metal draws heavily on the glam rock or glitter rock of the 1970s, [10] often with very long backcombed hair, use of hair spray, use of make-up, gaudy clothing and accessories (chiefly consisting of tight denim or leather jeans, spandex, and headbands). [11] The visual aspects of glam metal appealed to music television producers, particularly MTV, whose establishment coincided with the rise of the genre. [12] Glam metal performers became infamous for their debauched lifestyles of drugs, strippers and late-night parties, which were widely covered in the tabloid press. [13]

Sociologist Deena Weinstein points to the large number of terms used to describe more commercial forms of heavy metal, which she groups together as lite metal. These include, beside glam metal: melodic metal, false metal, poodle bands, nerf metal, pop metal or metal pop, the last of which was coined by critic Philip Bashe in 1983 to describe bands such as Van Halen and Def Leppard. [9] AllMusic employs the umbrella term "pop metal", which refers a late-1980s variation of pop metal characterized by flashy clothing and heavy makeup influenced by glam rock (as embodied by Poison and Mötley Crüe). [14] Use of the derogatory term "hair metal" started in the early 1990s, as grunge gained popularity at the expense of 1980s metal. [14] In the "definitive metal family tree" of his documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey , anthropologist Sam Dunn differentiates pop metal, which includes bands like Def Leppard, Europe, and Whitesnake, from glam metal bands such as Mötley Crüe and Poison. [15]

History

Predecessors

The New York Dolls in 1973. Their visual style influenced the look of many 1980s-era glam metal groups. New York Dolls - TopPop 1973 11.png
The New York Dolls in 1973. Their visual style influenced the look of many 1980s-era glam metal groups.

Music journalist Stephen Davis claims the influences of the style can be traced back to acts like Kiss, Boston, Cheap Trick, and the New York Dolls. [3] Kiss, and to a lesser extent Alice Cooper, were major influences on the genre. [16] Finnish band Hanoi Rocks, heavily influenced themselves by the New York Dolls, have been credited with setting a blueprint for the look of hair metal. [17]

Van Halen has been seen as highly influential on the movement, emerging in 1978 from the Los Angeles music scene on Sunset Strip, with a sound based around the lead guitar skills of Eddie Van Halen. He popularized a playing technique of two-handed hammer-ons and pull-offs called tapping, showcased on the song "Eruption" from the album Van Halen . [4] This sound, and lead singer David Lee Roth's stage antics, would be highly influential on glam metal. [18]

Mainstream success (1981–1991)

First wave (1981–1986)

Def Leppard, often categorized with the New Wave of British heavy metal, mixed glam rock with heavy metal, helping to define the sound of hard rock for the 1980s decade. [19] In March 1980, Def Leppard released their initial album On Through the Night , its first song "Rock Brigade" provided a hint of this future sound style. In July 1981, Def Leppard released their second album High 'n' Dry , which contained the songs "Bringin' On The Heartbreak" (power ballad) and "Switch 625" (instrumental), examples of their signature sound style prevalent in their next album (Pyromania). The High 'n' Dry album stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for 123 weeks. [20]

Bands from across the United States began to move towards what would become the glam metal sound. In the fall of 1981, Mötley Crüe (from Los Angeles) released their first album Too Fast for Love , Kix (from western Maryland) released their first album Kix , and Dokken (from Los Angeles) released their first album Breaking the Chains in Europe (later remixed for September 1983 re-release in USA). In November 1982, Night Ranger (from San Francisco) released their initial album Dawn Patrol which reached the top 40 in the United States. [21]

Quiet Riot was one of the early glam metal bands to achieve mainstream success. Quietriot2.jpg
Quiet Riot was one of the early glam metal bands to achieve mainstream success.

1983 was the breakout year for glam metal: Def Leppard released its third album Pyromania on January 20, and was the first glam metal album to reach top ten in the Billboard charts on March 12, [22] later it peaked at number two on May 14, [23] then staying in the top ten albums until it dropped to eleventh place on November 26, [24] eventually falling off the Billboard 200 chart after 123 weeks. [20] Quiet Riot's Metal Health was released on March 11, then marched upwards until it reached number one on November 26, [24] eventually falling off the Billboard 200 chart after 81 weeks. [25] The success of Def Leppard and Quiet Riot paved the way for many heavy metal acts, both glam and otherwise, as the decade progressed. [26] That same year saw a larger wave of heavy metal albums achieve previously-unheard-of commercial success. All of the following were released in September: Mötley Crüe releasing its second album Shout at the Devil , Kiss releasing Lick It Up , and Dokken re-released their first album Breaking the Chains in the USA.

Def Leppard's Pyromania, later certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), reached number two on the Billboard 200. The singles "Foolin'", "Photograph", and "Rock of Ages", helped by the emergence of MTV, reached the Top 40. [19] [27] [28] Pyromania's style was widely emulated, particularly by the emerging Californian scene. [6] However, remarked Leppard's Joe Elliott, "I don't know how anybody could confuse us with that lot. We weren't even around when all those so-called glam bands came up. We were in fuckin' Holland making Hysteria . While they were out banging chicks or whatever, we were looking at windmills and playing pool on a table without any pockets. We were as far away from LA as any band could be." [29]

The most active glam metal scene was starting to appear in clubs on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, including The Trip, the Whisky a Go Go, and the Starwood. These clubs refrained from booking punk rock bands because of fears of violence and began booking many metal bands instead, usually on a "pay to play" basis, thus creating a vibrant scene for hard rock music. [4] [30] An increasing number of metal bands were able to produce debut albums in 1984, including Ratt (from Los Angeles) with its breakthrough album Out of the Cellar , Bon Jovi (from New Jersey) with its debut Bon Jovi , Great White with Great White , Black 'n Blue (from Portland, Oregon) with Black 'n Blue , Autograph with its first album Sign In Please , and W.A.S.P. with its self-titled debut album.

All these bands played a part in developing the overall look and sound of glam metal during the early 1980s. [4] In 1985, many more commercially successful glam metal albums began to appear, including Mötley Crüe's third album Theatre of Pain , Ratt's second album Invasion of Your Privacy , Dokken's third album Under Lock and Key , Stryper's first release Soldiers Under Command , Bon Jovi's second release 7800° Fahrenheit , and Autograph's second album That's The Stuff . Los Angeles continued to foster the most important scene around the Sunset Strip, with groups like London, which had originally formed as a glam rock band in the 1970s, and had seen future members of Mötley Crüe, Cinderella and Guns N' Roses pass through its ranks, finally releasing their début album Non Stop Rock in 1985 as well. [31]

Second wave (1986–1991)

By the mid-late 1980s, glam metal had begun to achieve major mainstream success in America with many of these bands' music videos appearing on heavy rotation on MTV, often at the top of the channel's daily dial countdown, and some of the bands appeared on the channel's shows such as Headbangers Ball , which became one of the most popular programs with over 1.3 million views a week. [12] [32] The groups also received heavy rotation on radio stations such as KNAC in Los Angeles. [33]

1986 was a significant year for glam metal music as Bon Jovi put out one of the most commercially significant releases of the era, Slippery When Wet which mixed metal with a pop sensibility and spent a total of eight weeks atop the Billboard 200 album chart, selling over 12 million copies in the United States. It became the first hard rock album to spawn three top ten singles, two of which reached number one. [34] The album has been credited with widening the audience for the genre, particularly by appealing to women as well as the traditional male dominated audience, and opening the door to MTV and commercial success for other bands at the end of the decade. [35]

The Swedish band Europe released the anthemic album The Final Countdown which reached the top ten in several countries, including the U.S., and the album's title single reached number one in 26 countries. [36] Stryper made their mainstream breakthrough in 1986 with the release of their platinum album To Hell with the Devil and brought Christian lyrics to their hard rock music style and glam metal looks. [37] Two Pennsylvania bands, with Harrisburg's Poison and Philadelphia's Cinderella released multi-platinum début albums, respectively Look What the Cat Dragged In and Night Songs in 1986. [38] [39] Van Halen released 5150 their first album with Sammy Hagar on lead vocals, which was number one in the U.S. for three weeks and sold over six million copies. [18] Additionally, some established hard rock and heavy metal bands of the era such as Scorpions, Whitesnake, Dio, Aerosmith, Kiss, Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Saxon and Accept began incorporating hair metal elements into their sounds and images, as the genre's popularity skyrocketed in 1985–1986. [40]

Four Def Leppard songs were on the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. DefLeppard1.JPG
Four Def Leppard songs were on the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.

Glam metal bands continued their run of commercial success in 1987 with Mötley Crüe releasing Girls, Girls, Girls , White Lion releasing Pride , and Def Leppard releasing Hysteria producing a hard rock record of seven hit singles [19] and stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for 136 weeks. [20] Another of the greatest successes of the era was Guns N' Roses, originally formed from a fusion of bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose, who released the best-selling debut of all time, Appetite for Destruction . With a "grittier" and "rawer" sound than most glam metal, incorporating elements of punk and blues, Appetite for Destruction produced three top 10 hits, including the number one "Sweet Child O' Mine". [42] In the wake of Guns N' Roses's commercial success, other similarly rawer glam metal bands began to gain popularity like L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat. Critics eventually termed this style sleaze rock or sleaze metal to differentiate it from the perceived increasing commerciality of other glam metal bands. [43] [44] Such was the dominance of the style that Californian hardcore punk band T.S.O.L. moved towards a glam metal sound in this period. [45] [46]

In the last years of the decade the most notable successes were New Jersey (1988) by Bon Jovi, [47] OU812 (1988) by Van Halen, [18] while Open Up and Say... Ahh! (1988) by Poison, spawned number one hit single "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", and eventually sold eight million copies worldwide. [38] [48] Britny Fox from Philadelphia [49] and Winger from New York [50] released their eponymous débuts in 1988. In 1989 Mötley Crüe produced their most commercially successful album, the multi-platinum number one Dr. Feelgood . [51] In the same year eponymous débuts included Danger Danger from New York, [52] Dangerous Toys from Austin, Texas, who provided more of a Southern rock tone to the genre, [53] Enuff Z'Nuff from Chicago who provided an element of psychedelia to their sound and visual style, and Tora Tora from Memphis, Tennessee, who incorporated elements of blues rock into their music. L.A. débuts included Warrant with Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich (1989), [54] and Skid Row with their eponymous album (1989), which reached number six in the Billboard 200, but they were to be one of the last major bands that emerged in the glam metal era. [55]

Glam metal entered the 1990s as one of the major commercial genres of popular music, but such success would not continue for long; in 1990, débuts for Slaughter, from Las Vegas with Stick It to Ya [56] and FireHouse, from North Carolina, with their eponymous album reached number 18 and number 21 on the Billboard 200 respectively, but it would be the peak of their commercial achievement. Y&T released their last album "Ten" before the band went on hiatus from a few years. [57]

Decline (1991–1997)

The 1988 film The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years captured the Los Angeles scene of successful and aspiring bands. It also highlighted the excesses of glam metal, particularly the scene in which W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes was interviewed while drinking vodka on a floating chair in a swimming pool as his mother watched. As a result, it has been seen as helping to create a backlash against the genre. [58] [59] In the early 1990s glam metal's popularity rapidly declined after nearly a decade of success. Successful bands lost members that were key to their songwriting and/or live performances, such as Mötley Crue's frontman Vince Neil, Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille, Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark and Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin. Several music writers and musicians began to deride glam metal acts as "hair farmers", [60] [61] hinting at the soon-to-be-popularized term "hair metal". Another reason for the decline in popularity of the style may have been the declining popularity of the power ballad. While its use, especially after a hard-rocking anthem, was initially a successful formula, in the early 1990s audiences lost interest in this approach. [8] [62]

The rise of alternative rock

By far and away the most significant factor in the decline of glam metal was the rise of alternative rock and grunge music. This included a wave of grunge bands from Seattle, such as Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Other alternative bands such as R.E.M., Radiohead, Stone Temple Pilots, and the Smashing Pumpkins achieved mainstream success in the wake of glam's decline. The decline was particularly obvious after the success of both R.E.M.'s Out of Time (1991) and Nirvana's Nevermind (1991), the latter of which combined elements of hardcore punk and heavy metal into a dirty sound that made use of heavy guitar distortion, fuzz and feedback, along with darker lyrical themes, a stripped-down aesthetic and a complete rejection of the glam metal visual style and performance. [14] [63] The success of bands like R.E.M. and Nirvana gave rise to a more "stripped down" musical style that was more personal and vulnerable. Many major labels felt they had been caught off-guard by the surprise success of alternative music and began turning over their personnel in favor of younger staffers more versed in the new scene. Glam acts such as Guns N' Roses and Bon Jovi attempted to adjust their sound to the changing times, whereas bands like Skid Row ended up fading away into irrelevance. As MTV shifted its attention to alternative music, glam metal bands found themselves relegated increasingly to late night airplay, and Headbangers Ball was cancelled at the end of 1994, [32] while KNAC went over to Spanish programming. [33] Given glam metal's lack of a major format presence on radio, bands were left without a clear way to reach their audience. Other L.A. alternative rock bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction also helped supplant the popularity of the genre. [64]

Changing sound

Some artists tried to alter their sound, while others struggled on with their original format. [14] In 1995, Van Halen released Balance , a multi-platinum seller that would be the band's last with Sammy Hagar on vocals. In 1996, David Lee Roth returned briefly and his replacement, former Extreme singer Gary Cherone, left the band soon after the release of the commercially unsuccessful 1998 album Van Halen III . Van Halen would not tour or record again until 2004. [18] Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers' 1992 debut album Generation Terrorists featured a glam metal sound. [65] The album reached No. 1 in the UK Rock Chart, [66] but failed to chart in the United States. [67]

Meanwhile, Guns N' Roses' classic-lineup was whittled away throughout the decade. Drummer Steven Adler was fired in 1990, guitarist Izzy Stradlin left in late 1991 after recording Use Your Illusion I and II with the band. Tensions between the other band members and lead singer Axl Rose continued after the release of the 1993 punk rock covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?" . Guitarist Slash left in 1996, followed by bassist Duff McKagan in 1998. Axl Rose, the only remaining member from the classic lineup at that point, worked with several lineups of the band to record Chinese Democracy – an album that would take over ten years to complete. [42]

Revivals (1997–present)

The Darkness performing in Sydney, Australia in 2004 DarknessLive.jpg
The Darkness performing in Sydney, Australia in 2004

During the late 1990s and 2000s, glam metal began to have a revival. Some established acts who had managed to weather the storm enjoyed renewed popularity, others reformed and new bands emerged to emulate the glam metal style. Bon Jovi were still able to achieve a commercial hit with "It's My Life" (2000). [47] They branched into country music with a version of their 2005 song "Who Says You Can't Go Home", which reached No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles chart in 2006 and the rock/country album Lost Highway which reached No. 1 in 2007. In 2009, Bon Jovi released The Circle , which marked a return to their hard rock sound and reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. [47] Mötley Crüe reunited with Vince Neil to record the 1997 album Generation Swine [51] and Poison reunited with guitarist C.C. DeVille in 1999, producing the mostly live Power to the People (2000); [38] both bands began to tour extensively. There were reunions and subsequent tours from Van Halen (with Hagar in 2004 and then Roth in 2007). [18] The long-awaited Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy was finally released in 2008, but only went platinum in the US, produced no hit singles, and failed to come close to the success of the band's late 1980s and early 1990s material. [68] Europe's "Final Countdown" enjoyed a new lease of popularity as the millennium drew to a close and the band reformed. [69] Other acts to reform included Ratt, [70] Britny Fox, [71] Stryper (annually), [37] and Skid Row. [55]

The Rocklahoma festival held in Pryor, Oklahoma in 2008 Sebastian Bach - Youth Gone Wild.jpg
The Rocklahoma festival held in Pryor, Oklahoma in 2008

Beginning in 1999, Monster Ballads , a series of compilation albums that feature popular power ballads, usually from the glam metal genre, capitalized on the nostalgia, with the first volume going platinum. [72] The VH1 sponsored Rock Never Stops Tour, beginning in 1998, has seen many glam metal bands take to the stage again, including on the inaugural tour: Warrant, Slaughter, Quiet Riot, FireHouse, and L.A. Guns. Slaughter also took part in the 1999 version with Ted Nugent, Night Ranger, and Quiet Riot. [73] Poison and Cinderella toured together in 2000 and 2002, and in 2005 Cinderella headlined the Rock Never Stops Tour, with support from Ratt, Quiet Riot, and FireHouse. [39] In 2007 the four-day-long Rocklahoma festival held in Oklahoma included glam metal bands Poison, Ratt and Twisted Sister. [74] Warrant and Cinderella co-headlined the festival in 2008. [75] Nostalgia for the genre was evidenced in the production of the glam metal themed musical Rock of Ages , which ran in Los Angeles in 2006 [76] and in New York in 2008. [77] It was made into a film released in 2012. [78]

The Darkness's Permission to Land (2003), described as an "eerily realistic simulation of '80s metal and '70s glam", [79] topped the UK charts, going quintuple platinum. One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back (2005) reached number 11. The band broke up in 2006, but reunited in 2011, releasing the album Hot Cakes the following year.

In the mid-to late 2000s, there was a minor sleaze rock revival with groups like Hinder and Buckcherry. [80] The latter's breakthrough album 15 (2006) went platinum in the U.S. and spawned the single "Sorry" (2007), which made the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. [81] Additionally, a subset of scene bands embraced elements of glam metal. This began with Blessed by a Broken Heart and subsequently popularised by the success of Black Veil Brides, Escape the Fate and Falling in Reverse. [82] Avenged Sevenfold's 2005 album City of Evil also promoted a similar influence, seeing the band depart from their metalcore sound in favour of one indebted to glam metal. [83] At the same time, in Sweden there was a sleaze metal movement attempting to revive the genre, with bands including Vains of Jenna, [84] Crashdïet [85] and H.E.A.T, [86] as well as the Finnish band Reckless Love. [87]

Los Angeles band Steel Panther managed to gain a following by playing 1980s style glam metal. [88]

See also

Citations

  1. D. Bukszpan, The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal (New York City, NY: Barnes and Noble, 2003), ISBN   0-7607-4218-9, p. 85.
  2. N. Strauss, The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band
  3. 1 2 S. Davis, Watch You Bleed: The Saga of Guns N' Roses (New York, NY: Gotham Books, 2008), ISBN   978-1-59240-377-6, p. 30.
  4. 1 2 3 4 R. Moore, Sells Like Teen Spirit: Music, Youth Culture, and Social Crisis (New York, NY: New York University Press, 2009), ISBN   0-8147-5748-0, pp. 105–6.
  5. "Pop Metal". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012.
  6. 1 2 C. Smith, 101 Albums that Changed Popular Music (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009), ISBN   0-19-537371-5, pp. 160–2.
  7. D. Bukszpan, The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal (London: Barnes & Noble Publishing, 2003), ISBN   0-7607-4218-9, p. 63.
  8. 1 2 G. T. Pillsbury, Damage Incorporated: Metallica and the Production of Musical Identity (New York, NY: CRC Press, 2006), ISBN   0-415-97374-0, p. 45.
  9. 1 2 D. Weinstein, Heavy Metal: The Music and Its Culture (Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2000), ISBN   0-306-80970-2, pp. 45–47.
  10. P. Auslander, Performing Glam Rock: Gender and Theatricality in Popular Music (Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 2006), ISBN   0-7546-4057-4, p. 232.
  11. D. Bukszpan, The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal (London: Barnes & Noble Publishing, 2003), ISBN   0-7607-4218-9, p. 60.
  12. 1 2 R. Walser, Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music (Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 1993), ISBN   0-8195-6260-2, p. 13.
  13. R. Batchelor and S. Stoddart, The 1980s (London: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007), ISBN   0-313-33000-X, p. 121.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Hair metal", AllMusic. Retrieved November 2014.
  15. Metal – A Headbanger's Journey, DVD, ASIN B000FS9OZY (2005).
  16. I. Ellis, Soft Skull Press, (Soft Skull Press, 2008), ISBN   1593762062
  17. B. Macdonald, J. Harrington and R. Dimery, Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (London: Quintet, 2006), ISBN   0-7893-1371-5, p. 508.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 S. T. Erlewine and G. Prato,"Van Halen", AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  19. 1 2 3 V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra and S. T. Erlewine, All Music Guide to Rock: the Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul (Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books, 3rd edn., 2002), ISBN   0-87930-653-X, pp. 293–94.
  20. 1 2 3 "Billboard 200 album chart history for Def Leppard". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 February 2024.
  21. "Night Ranger Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  22. "Billboard 200 for Week of March 12, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 February 2024.
  23. "Billboard 200 for Week of May 14, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 February 2024.
  24. 1 2 "Billboard 200 for Week of November 26, 1983". Billboard. Archived from the original on 17 February 2024.
  25. "Billboard 200 album chart history for Quiet Riot". Billboard. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022.
  26. E. Rivadavia, "Quiet Riot", AllMusic. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  27. "American album certifications – Def Leppard – Pyromania". RIAA. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  28. Pyromania: Def Leppard AllMusic. Retrieved 17 November 2011
  29. McIntyre, Ken (December 2015). "Hello America". Classic Rock . p. 50.
  30. A. Chapman and L. Silber, Rock to Riches: Build Your Business the Rock & Roll Way (Capital Books, 2008), ISBN   1-933102-65-9, p. 151.
  31. D. Stone, "London", AllMusic. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  32. 1 2 C. Marshall, "Where do all the Videos Go?", Billboard, vol. 113, No. 25 June 23, 2001, ISSN   0006-2510, p. 32.
  33. 1 2 M. Moses and D. Kaye, "What did you do in the war daddy?", Billboard, vol. 111, no. 23, 5 June 1999, ISSN   0006-2510, p. 82.
  34. L. Flick, "Bon Jovi bounce back from tragedy", Billboard, 28 September 2002, vol. 114, No. 39, ISSN   0006-2510, p. 81.
  35. D. Nicholls, The Cambridge History of American Music (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), ISBN   0-521-45429-8, p. 378.
  36. "RIAA – Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
  37. 1 2 G. Prato, "Stryper", AllMusic. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  38. 1 2 3 B. Weber, "Poison", AllMusic. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  39. 1 2 W. Ruhlmann, "Cinderella", AllMusic. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  40. Huey, Steve. "Judas Priest – Turbo". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  41. "Def Leppard – Chart history". Billboard.
  42. 1 2 S. T. Erlewine and G. Prato, "Guns N' Roses", AllMusic. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  43. Harrison, Thomas (2011). Music of the 1980s. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood. p. 52. ISBN   9780313365997. While Poison was writing and acting in a glamorous manner to hide the seedy underbelly of the Hollywood scene, the dirtier parts of the scene were beginning to take over Poison's place in the mainstream. Guns N' Roses lacked the glam songwriting and makeup of Poison. Because of their heavier use of the blues tonality, chord progressions became more chromatic, stylistically more in the vein of the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith, and not Kiss, as Poison's songs were. The Stones were a raw band, and music was seen as polished in Hollywood earlier in the decade. This new thread of hard rock became known as sleaze rock, led by Guns N' Roses... Guns N' Roses was the best example of a complementary two-guitar sleaze hard rock band in the 1980s; other groups who emerged from the Hollywood scene during this period include Faster Pussycat and L.A. Guns, who followed a similar approach.
  44. Pattillo, Alice (29 January 2020). "The best sleaze metal bands as chosen by Davey Suicide". Metal Hammer . Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  45. B. Torreano, "TSOL" AllMusic. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  46. Garry Sharpe-Young, New Wave of American Heavy Metal (New Plymouth, New Zealand: Zonda, 2005), ISBN   0-9582684-0-1, p. 302.
  47. 1 2 3 S. T. Erlewine, "Bon Jovi", AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  48. "Poison Artist information", Billboard. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  49. J. Ulrey, "Britny Fox", AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  50. S. T. Erlewine, "Winger", AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  51. 1 2 V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra and S. T. Erlewine, All Music Guide to Rock: the Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul (Milwaukee, WI: Backbeat Books, 3rd edn., 2002), ISBN   0-87930-653-X, pp. 767–8.
  52. G. Prato, "Danger Danger", AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  53. G. Prato, "Dangerous Toys", AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  54. S. T. Erlewine, "Warrant", AllMusic. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  55. 1 2 B. Weber, "Skid Row", AllMusic. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  56. S. Huey, "Slaughter", AllMusic. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  57. S. T. Erlewine, "Firehouse", AllMusic. Retrieved 6 July 2010.
  58. E. Danville and C. Mott, The Official Heavy Metal Book of Lists (Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas Press, 2009), ISBN   0-87930-983-0, p. 16.
  59. M. G. Hurd, Women Directors and their Films (London: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007), ISBN   0-275-98578-4, p. 79.
  60. D. Thompson (March 1994). "I Slept With Soundgarden and Other Chilling Confessions". Alternative Press. Retrieved 8 December 2006.
  61. Magnuson, Ann (February 1992). "SUB ZEP?". Spin . Retrieved 8 December 2006.
  62. C. Aaron, "Don't fight the power", Spin, vol. 17, No. 11, Nov 2001, ISSN   0886-3032, p. 90.
  63. "Grunge", AllMusic. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  64. R. Moore, Sells Like Teen Spirit: Music, Youth Culture, and Social Crisis (New York, NY: New York University Press, 2009), ISBN   0-8147-5748-0, p. 117.
  65. Kravitz, Kayley (30 January 2015). "Archiving Pain: Richey Edwards disappeared 20 years ago, but his genius with the Manics lives on". Vanyaland. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  66. Price 1999, p. 79.
  67. Price 1999, p. 92.
  68. "Guns 'N Roses, Gold and Platinum Database Search". Recording Industry Association of America . Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  69. "Rock group Europe plan comeback". BBC Home. 3 October 2003.
  70. S. T. Erlewine and G. Prato, "Ratt", AllMusic. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  71. "Britny Fox", NME Artists. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  72. C. Marshall, "From big hair and power ballads to Polish metal, every song has its niche", Billboard, vol. 112, no. 26, 24 June 2000, ISSN   0006-2510, p. 42.
  73. "'80s Rock Never Stops On Tour", Billboard. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  74. Peters, Mitchell. "Hair-Metal Mania Strikes Again at Rocklahoma". Billboard . Retrieved 12 March 2008.
  75. "Hair Bands Unite in Oklahoma". nbc5i.com. Retrieved 12 March 2008.
  76. "Laura Bell Bundy Stars in 'Rock of Ages' Tuner in LA Jan 26 – Feb 18", BroadwayWorld.com, 30 November 2005.
  77. W. McBride, "Photo Coverage: 'ROCK OF AGES' Meets the Press", BroadwayWorld.com, 4 March 2009.
  78. "Rock of Ages", Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  79. H. Phares, "The Darkness: Permission to Land", AllMusic. Retrieved 11 June 2007.
  80. Diltz, Henry (June 2007), Heard Any Good Rock-Star Stories Lately?, p. 59, Hinder, Buckcherry, and Avenged Sevenfold are working hard to conjure the spirit of Sunset Strip sleaze.
  81. J. Ankeny, "Buckcherry", AllMusic. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  82. Stewart, Ethan (25 May 2021). "From Hardcore to Harajuku: the Origins of Scene Subculture". PopMatters . Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  83. Hill, Stephen. "Every Avenged Sevenfold album ranked from worst to best". Metal Hammer . Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  84. M. Brown, "Vains of Jenna", AllMusic. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  85. K. Ross Hoffman, "Crashdïet", AllMusic. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  86. A. Eremenko, "H.E.A.T.", AllMusic. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  87. "Groupies, Tattoos, and Glam-Rock: How Helsinki is the Sunset Strip of Europe". Vice . Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  88. M. Brown, "Steel Panther", AllMusic. Retrieved 19 June 2010.

Works cited

General bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mötley Crüe</span> American heavy metal band

Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Hollywood, California in 1981 by bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee with guitarist Mick Mars and lead vocalist Vince Neil joining right after. The band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. They have also achieved seven platinum or multi-platinum certifications, nine Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, twenty-two Top 40 mainstream rock hits, and six Top 20 pop singles.

Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard rock music was produced by the Kinks, the Who, the Rolling Stones, Cream, Vanilla Fudge, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. In the late 1960s, bands such as Blue Cheer, the Jeff Beck Group, Iron Butterfly, Led Zeppelin, Golden Earring, Steppenwolf, and Deep Purple also produced hard rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poison (band)</span> American glam metal band

Poison is an American glam metal band formed in 1983 in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The most successful incarnation of the band consists of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Bret Michaels, drummer Rikki Rockett, lead guitarist and backing vocalist C.C. DeVille, and bassist Bobby Dall. The band achieved huge commercial success in the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s and has sold 30 million records in the United States and over 65 million albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Def Leppard</span> British rock band

Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, it has consisted of Rick Savage, Joe Elliott, Rick Allen (drums), Phil Collen, and Vivian Campbell. They established themselves as part of the new wave of British heavy metal of the early 1980s. Their greatest commercial success came between the early 1980s and early 1990s.

<i>Shout at the Devil</i> 1983 studio album by Mötley Crüe

Shout at the Devil is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released on September 23, 1983. It was the band's breakthrough album, establishing Mötley Crüe as one of the top selling heavy metal acts of the 1980s. The singles "Looks That Kill" and "Too Young to Fall in Love" were moderate hits for the band.

<i>X</i> (Def Leppard album) 2002 studio album by Def Leppard

X is the eighth studio album by English rock band Def Leppard, released on 30 July 2002 by Island Records in the US and sister label Mercury worldwide. Much like 1996's Slang, it featured another departure from their signature sound by moving into the pop genre. The album charted at No. 11 on The Billboard 200 and No. 14 on the UK Albums Chart. Most of the album was produced by Pete Woodroffe and the band, with remaining tracks produced by either Marti Frederiksen or Per Aldeheim and Andreas Carlsson.

<i>Too Fast for Love</i> 1981 studio album by Mötley Crüe

Too Fast for Love is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. The first edition of 900 copies was released on November 10, 1981, on the band's original label Leathür Records. Elektra Records signed the band the following year, at which point the album was remixed and partially re-recorded. This re-release, with a different track listing and slightly different artwork, has become the standard version from which all later reissues derive. The re-recorded album also removed the song "Stick to Your Guns", though it is featured on a bonus track version of the album. The original mix of the album remained unreleased on CD until 2002, when it was included in the Music to Crash Your Car To: Vol. 1 box set compilation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monsters of Rock</span> Former heavy metal music festival

Monsters of Rock is a hard rock and heavy metal music festival. It was originally held annually in Castle Donington, England, from 1980 to 1996, taking place every year except 1989 and 1993. It later branched into other locations such as the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the United States, and Russia.

<i>Pump</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Aerosmith

Pump is the tenth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith. It was released on September 12, 1989, by Geffen Records. The album peaked at No. 5 on the US charts, and was certified septuple platinum by the RIAA in 1995.

<i>Tooth and Nail</i> (Dokken album) 1984 studio album by Dokken

Tooth and Nail is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Dokken, released on September 14, 1984 through Elektra Records. After the unsuccessful US release of the band's 1983 debut album, Breaking the Chains, the record label was reluctant to give credit to Dokken for a follow-up. Dokken's management struggled to convince the label's executives to give the band another chance and this fight for recognition is reflected in the album's title. This album was the group's first with bassist Jeff Pilson following Juan Croucier's departure to join Ratt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi song)</span> 1987 single by Bon Jovi

"Wanted Dead or Alive" is a power ballad by American rock band Bon Jovi. It is from their 1986 album Slippery When Wet. The song was written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora and was released in 1987, as the album's third single. During a February 20, 2008 encore performance in Detroit, Jon Bon Jovi told the crowd about running into Bob Seger at a Pistons game. As he introduced his song "Wanted Dead or Alive", he said it was inspired by Seger's "Turn the Page" hit and called the song the band's anthem. The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 13 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, making it the third single from the album to reach the Top 10 of the Hot 100. As a result, Slippery When Wet was the first glam metal album to have 3 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Last Vegas</span> American hard rock band

The Last Vegas are an American hard rock band from Chicago whose style draws from glam, punk, and sleaze metal. Composed of Chad Cherry, John Wator (guitar), Adam Arling (guitar), Danny Smash (bass), and Nate Arling (drums), the band released the album Whatever Gets You Off, in April 2009, on Eleven Seven Music. The album was produced by Nikki Sixx, Sixx:A.M. guitarist DJ Ashba, as well as Marti Frederiksen.

Ross William Halfin is a British rock and roll photographer. Since the late 1970s he has worked for some of the biggest acts in rock and heavy metal, including Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, The Who, Kiss, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Van Halen, Def Leppard and many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moscow Music Peace Festival</span> 1989 music festival

The Moscow Music Peace Festival was a rock concert that took place in the USSR on 12 and 13 August 1989 at Central Lenin Stadium in Moscow. Occurring during the glasnost era, it was one of first hard rock and heavy metal acts from abroad that were granted permission to perform in the capital city,. Over 100,000 people attended and it was broadcast live to 59 nations including MTV in the United States. The event promoted understanding between the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War and also raised money to help those addicted to drugs and alcohol. The concert featured six bands from abroad and three Russian bands. The concert ended with the various band members participating in jam session. An album and documentary were released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Isham</span> American director

Wayne Isham is an American film director and music video director who has directed films and music videos of many popular artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fahrenheit (Chilean band)</span>

Fahrenheit was a hard rock band from Santiago, Chile, deeply influenced by 1980s and '70s rock artists such as Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe and Skid Row. °Fahrenheit were well known in the Latin-American rock scene for their intense on-stage performance, energetic sound and guitar solos.

Pop metal is an umbrella term for commercial heavy metal and hard rock styles which feature prominent pop music elements such as catchy hooks and anthemic choruses. It became popular in the 1980s among acts such as Bon Jovi, Europe, Def Leppard, Poison, Mötley Crüe, and Ratt.

Metal Evolution is a 2011 documentary series directed by anthropologist and filmmaker Sam Dunn and director, producer and music supervisor Scot McFadyen about heavy metal subgenres, with new episodes airing every Friday at 10 pm EST on MuchMore and Saturday at 10pm EST on VH1 Classic. Its origins come from Dunn's first documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, which included the acclaimed "Heavy Metal Family Tree."

Lessdress is a Polish glam metal / hard rock band originally formed under the name Ferrum in Warsaw in 1984. Lessdress is arguably the most successful glam metal band from Poland, having played the largest hard rock and metal festivals in Central Europe including the Przystanek Woodstock festival and opened for among others Def Leppard. Their first two albums are recognized collectors items fetching hundreds of dollars on eBay. Due to high demand, the band reformed in 2007 and their debut album Dumblondes was remastered and re-released the following year by the Australian label Suncity Records.